Lockdown Study Finds Undiagnosed Mental Health Crisis Among New Mothers

Researchers find social distancing the main cause of increased feelings of depression and anxiety

New research reveals that rates of depression and anxiety among new mothers higher than previously believed.sutlafk/Shutterstock

New mothers experienced worryingly high rates of depression and anxiety during the first lockdown, our new research has revealed. One of the major contributing factors to them feeling this way was the psychological impact of social distancing measures.

Our study examined the psychological and social experiences of more than 600 women with babies between birth and 12 weeks old during the first lockdown in the United Kingdom.